Steering-wheel lock.



L; RIAL &. w. HEBERN. STEERING WHEEL LOCK.

. APPLICATION FILED ocnze. 1911. 1,300,020.

SSES:

WITN E L. RlAL & W. HEBERN.

STEERING WHEEL LOCK. APPLICATION FILED 0CT.29| 19H.

1,300,020 Patented Apr. 8,1919. F 6 a? 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

V 10 L 2 u I I 5' 4 H I I l '2 I: i I i v 1211 .2 r H 6 6" 1 1* 4w 6' In z 4- 2 v LIAM Hiniii sni ig o'itiz'ensfof the United "States; I

re'idingfit the bit andacougmy ofj'SanFrafi oisho and State off californ a, have invented new endfnse'fiil linpi'oveinents; in Steer ng 'h'eel Looks; folio'iivi ngils specification? i" invention relates-to a devicefor ren:

dering the '"stering lnieehanisin of m m;

absence of the"oiirne1 or dfiVQI'] to; prevent linailtho'riz'ed persons from stealing olzusing the vehicle. I

"Onbfthe objeets of theinyention is to pi ovide 2i'Steeri'iigvvheel, a, combination pernintationvv 1oek:,.,and 5; bolt operated thereby to permit the Wheel to" bejireleasedi'or locked withQrelation to the steering column of on can" Anothety obj'eetfofthe invention, is to provide a; "combination" look which -t ,pei mits locking ofthe'bolt both the released and infthe locked position, and adsoftoprovide a' look' which obviates the-necessity of carrying ajkey and Whieh is"so eonstruoted that the) locking combination may?*he weddily chengedfrom tinie tojtime as conditions v may demand, provided the one who desires to make the change already knowethe' preseiitoh1bin2itioii. Fuitherobjects will heren t m A f Thednvehtion consists of theQParts and the construotion and combination'fof pai'ts as hefeinafterimdie fu -11y" desc ibed and cIztimedhaifinQg {refeien'ce to the noo'oinpan'y- "ing' drawings, in *Whieh- Figure l is a' planfi iewr of'anordinary steering Wheel the invention? Fig; 2 is a ide ele ation of sainie, pa rtly in'sction, said section being tztkenpi the line 2 2fofFig. 1. t

Fig. S-Eis an "enlarged cross iee'ction on line'sfs fi i ol;

his an enlarged s sa e-(5n 8h line ofFig. Y

' Eig. '5 isan enlarged cross section; on line 55 of Fig.1.-

4 Fig. 6 i's a longitudinal, vertical :section through one side' of thelocking mechani Fig." flea silnilarfsection taken directly through the center "of the locking Inechanis'mffi ,Ft 2 P i v w wl ii tll e e "ea chf side of same.

; showing tippli'cetjion of i.

J M te -Ta e b e n "'1 wit re 2 2 beefing. plate 53nd -1-e1asing plate, showing poitions in'aintainedhetween the same. JgZ'I OiS'apeTSpeC we view ofl on we eysimplbyed showing a! split bushing interposed Between thesteelring eolu' nn and thelcollan F ("Fig 13 is:a'iiertioahseotion through-the 7 ,collaifi showing, it raisedby the" interpositionf'of apl'nlalityof'wgtghersb Referring to'ithef drawings in "detail, A

wheeLQ the spokes; a'ndBthehIibI Formed integraLWith one of the 'spo'kesfal shown at 2?, I ailogikhousiHg org'cteing "if sind'iform I ing' ooifeiijng for said housingand el-cbllar plate" 7. Sli'datb'lyf mounted on; a" bearing l plate 8 'seouied in thebott'omjof the casing is elocking holt 9, an'd Slidably mountedon a-ibearingflpjl'site 10- seonledato the eove'r 'plate is; releasing plate. 11".

and 17 anda like nuniber'ofkey members Q'O aTe' I ecei ed hythe'alinedslots 16 and 18.

The keys are'snfiiciently long to project 'a' editable "distance above the cover plate 7 ,i as shown atf7 y' (seei'Figs. 1,2;"a'nd 6) and I Y ina3y,therefore", be readily manipiilztted when the loekiii'gnieehanisn 'is to be" released or er, we

;*A' beqring o1ate1""8 is proyided yvith a" gliideway -12 forbolt 9, and on 'eaohlside of the looking bolt' is an outwardly projecting so i 111 the bottom seetion of-the casing 4 and alsointthe lower bearing: p1ate 8,?" in; aline-Q nient vi ith each set of slots 15 end116, are

'chanihers f22, and adapted to be hou sed byo r saidfehanibers and interposed between the tionof casing a coil spring I These coil springs normally serve the function of supportingleach key, in" a raised "or pro je'cted positi'on and they also serve the'function of raising the keys when they are released .bythe'releasing plate 11, as will hereinafter be, described.

Eachside of eachkey is notched, as shown in Figs. 3, 4:, 5 and One notched side may be called the combination side while the opposite side maybe called the free side.

The free side of each key is provided with notches, such as .shown at 24, 25 and'26',

fwhile the combination side of each key is provided with twonotclies, such as shown at'2f? ,and;28. Theupper notches 24 and j2 7 are formed on the same plane and are provided 7 for the purpose of receiving a locking spring, such'as shown at 29. There the direction of arrow 0 by means of a knob 30 secured to the plate, as shown in Fig. 7 this movement of the sliding plate and the springs carried thereby being per- ;mitted as thecover plate is slotted, as at 31,

to allow such movement. The sliding move- 40 laterally and, therefore, disengages each nent thus transmitted to the plate moves the springs29 out of alinement with each key spring and permits the keys to return to normal raised position, due to the tension of the springs23. 1

Anynmnber-of keys may be employed in, the combination for the purpose of releas ng or locking the bolt 9. The keys thus employed for locking or releasing the bolt are turnedto the position shown in Figs. 3 and it; that is, the "combination sides of the keys are presented toward the slotted flanges '13otthe locking bolt.' The'keys that'are not employed in the combination remain intheir normal position and present their combination sides outwardly toward the s1des ofthe casing, as showninFig. 5. In actual operatlon, supposing the keys marked a, b, c and cl (see Fig. 1) are employed as locklng members. Then it is only necessary to depress said keys, as shown in Fig.4, to permit the bolt to be retracted with relation to a slot 9 formedin the collar 5.

,This isaccomplished as'follows: By refer- I r ng-to Fig. 1 :4 it will. be {seen.1tliatjdepression ofthe keys 0 and d has. lowered. them keys is shown in Fig. 3. l the raised position and such form locks to a point wliere the upper notches 27 have become engaged and locked by the springs 29. It can also be seen that the flower notches 28 have assumed a position'below the slotted flanges 13 of the bolt which permits the bolt to travel freely.

The other position of the combination They are here. in

for the bolt, as the lower ends of the keys are in a position where they enter the slots of the flanges 13 on the locking bolt. The bolt cannot, therefore, bemoved before the keys (1 and Z) in Fig. 3 have been depressed, nor can the bolt be moved it any other keys are depressed but the four specified, as the depression of keys not in the combination would cause a lug 32, on the free side of the key (see Fig. 5) to enter one of the channels formed in the flanges 13 of the bolt. Therefore it is essential that no keys but those employed in the combination, that is, keys 4, I), 0 and d be depressed, as it will otherwise be impossible to move the bolt. The moment the depression of the combination keys has taken place it becomes possible to more the bolt by means of a knob 33 in the direction of arrow]; (see Fig. 7). This movement is possible as the flanges 13 on the bolt are in alinement with the lower notches, formed on the free sides of the keys, that are not employed in the combination and alsobecauscthe flanges 13 are in alinement with the notches 28 formed in the combination keys asthese have been depressed as described.

Retractile movement of the locking bolt is effected by a pull on knob 33 in the direction of arrow Z). The steering wheel is in this manner released from the steering column and it also becomes possible to lock the boltin this released position merely by releasing the combination keys that have been depressed; this being accomplished, as

before described, by moving the knob and connected sliding plate 11 in the direction of arrow a.

T he bolt, when locked in the released position, cannot be released until the combination keys are againdepressed, nor can it be released or engaged with the collar until the wheel is turned to-a position where the bolt is in alinen'ient with the notch 9 formed in the collar. It is, therefore, essential, whendesiring to lock the wheel to the column, to first depress the combination keys and then turn the wheel to a position where the bolt will register with the notch 9 to permit the bolt to enter and lock, the bolt being locked and secured in the locked ,position by again releasing the combination keys through a movement of the sliding plate. It is, therefore, essential to know the -rconibination' of the lock if it is desired to lock the wheel when the bolt. is retracted lOO i I e -m 1 1 to releasing position. and also if. it desired to release the wheeljto unlock-it?with n lation to the steering:columni Neitherv operation can beperformed w thout know-L edge. of the combination The manner of securing. the f collanj ifi the steering column andnalsonthe' manner in which the cover I plate 7 i ;is Secured-.10 the casing are important features or. the; present invention. *Theagcollar :fiyis; first: secured to. the column'G by means ofakeyfifi, then} by a screw 6", and-then by the cover plate 7,

the cover platei beinglsecuredtothe Casing by means of two screws 7 ThesejscreWS pass through the cover; :plate; 7,- the; upper bearing plate 10, thevreleasing plate ll, and the bolt 9 and are screwed into the lower bearing plate 8 in the bottom section oflthe casing, as shown at 7. The center portion."

of each screw is turned down to reduce the diameter, as shown at 7 These reduced portions operatein slots 9 which are @formed in the bolt and provided between their ends with entrance openings or enlargements 9.

through which the larger diameter of the screws may readilypass. This position is only assumed when the bolt is midway between a complete looking or a complete releasing position. Therefore it is necessary to know the combination of the look so that the bolt may be released and moved to this position before it is possible to remove the screws which secure the cover platep'Z in place. Itis impossible to lift the'wheel or remove it from the steering column as it is first necessary to remove the cover plate and bolt before it is possible to lift the wheel off of the collar;

The wheel proper is also secured against upward movement onthe collar by forming an annular groove therein, as shown at 5*. A lip 9, formed onthe forward end of the bolt, projects into this groovewhenthebolt is retracted, and into the slot 9 when the bolt is moved-forward to locking position,

the bolt being normally retainedin the. lock- 7 ing position by a spring lO {interposed between the rearend of"; the/casing and the bolt. of the bolt is limited byra stopjpin ll secured to the rear end of the casing. ,This pin is of considerableimportance as itprevents the bolt from, being so'farback that the lip 9 might move out of engagement with the annular groove 5"; also. it provides 7 a positive stop whichprevents the bolt from being moved into a positionwhere the slots 14, formed in the flanges 18, might be out of alinementwith the keys. It is necessary that an absolute alinement should be maintained between the keys and the slots '14: on

the bolt, both when the bolt is retracted and extended, as it would otherwise be diflieult to lock the bolt injeither the extended or retracted position.

The retractile :movement i el ding n ta -innate auresit ef-t ieg 7 upper bearing late 10in anysuitablefmz 1" net,but.ppreferably as hereEsh rbya cross tenantn es -b a 'e w W permitting-a sliding movement ofthe releas 7 -'P at whe d r d;Len .a'l eiiiee i s ietractiQI -Qf; thereleasing plateltof normal:

positionuby ;meanshofga spring This Sp ing attached one j and plate and atf'the "opposite. an leii ee to h e er the releas- Thedownward"movement;oiflthe erti iall v posit oned keys;whichgcotipei ate -with ,@th. lock ng bolt; is, as: before, stated, l m ted ,by

hetb tt li ect on f. the "ca tin -1' The-11 p: walrd movement is l' iinit ed entirely, by; .pin's L5 extending through the keys which are adaptedto engage .the ,nnderside ofthe 11pper'bearing plate 10. The.l' eys,wh en raised,

will all assume a normal plane and will'als o assume a normal plane if they should all be depressed, as their movement, both in an upward and downward direction, is positively limited; the actual movement in practice .being approximately one-eighth of an inch while the extreme movement of the bolt proper is one-quarter of an inch, The forward end of the bolt which enters the slotted with relation to the collar and steeringcolportion of the collar is, therefore, preferably I slightly tapered, as shown at 46, to permit it to act as awedge to tightly lockthe wheel umn-and also to permit it to automatically take: up the" slight amount of wear which willnaturally takeplaoe through continuous use. i i

*The post or housing tiginclosing the lower part ofthe steering column, projects up. into a .recess'formed in the bottom ofthecollar, as at'6 while the upper endofl-the steerthe slot 9.

ing and a boltslidable therein and formed longitudinal side edges, spaced series of flat and non-rotatable keys having their outer side's slidably engaged with the adjacent certainof said keys being ineffective ;on the spective side edges of theplate for engaging Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters'lPatent is-- 1. A permutation lock comprising a cas- ,with a plurality of notches in its opposite sides of the casings-for entering the bolt notches t0 lockthe bolti'against movement, 7

bolt-but alllthe keys having catch-engaging? recesses, a lock'plate-slidablymountedfabove'f 'thezbolt'in thegcasing,-'-and downwardly di-' vergentTcatchsprings carried by therei 13.0 T 'i i 2. A- permutation lockr' including a casingia bolt 'slidable thereon,'spaced sets of "keys slidabl'e transversely of and on'opposite sides of the 'bolt fornormally locking the s'amegysaid keys having notches formed therein, a plate slidable between the sets of keys and provided With yieldable latch means engageable independently in the key notches to hold them inoperative and disengageableltherefrom upon sliding the'plate, and meansforsliding the plate.

7 13'. A: permutation lock including a casing,

; abolt slidable thereon; a plurality of keys slidable transversely of the bolt for normally locking the same, said keys having notches formed therein, a coiled spring yieldably supporting each key, a plate slidable transversely of the keys, a plurality of leaf .2:

springs secured to the plate for engaging in the key notches to hold them inoperative and removable from the key notches to free the keys, and means for sliding the plate.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto r Copies of this patent may be oitained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. i a 1 Washington, I). G. 

